Just watched Newsnight....I am sick of the slagging that we are getting and the leaks which are showing us in a bad light so...

Jailor, 100m, the 'Grown ups', RANT AT WILL

[Rant] Any âGrown upsâ reading this threadâ¦please please get a grip. Sirs, The leaks are ****ing up us far more than the politicians who are the targets. The problem is unless you are seen to grip your political bosses the Toms or Lt Cols will continue to lose confidence in the Chain of Command. This will result, I fear in more retention problems and in the long term indiscipline on the battlefield. I know your hands are tied as the cards have been dealt alreadyâ¦.Deliver us a quick win or twoâ¦extra cash and more troops for AFG In the long term, never ever get us into another Helmand again, resign, you have your pensions and you will save lives! [/Rant]

However, I don't believe the leaks are controllable in this day and age. It would mean a return to censorship of all forms of communication from our troops who are deployed. I don't think "Tom" would be happy to be told his e-mail's home to mummy or his missus will have to be proof read, and censored, by his chain of command as the MOD don't like being made to look bad in public. I don't believe that would be acceptable by society at large. It certainly wouldn't be acceptable to me.

We live in an age where information is almost free, and as much as the powers that be would love to control it, they are proving particularly inept at doing so.

The solution is that the MOD need to start getting it right, they need to stop making mistakes and capitalising on our successes. Making soldiers feel proud and worthy, thereby increasing retention isn't going to start by silencing them.

I appreciate that we live in an information age, I am aware that even on forums like this there is the potential for to provide ammunition to critics of both the Armed Forces and the Government. As for the sheer number of videos on YouTube, I am slightly alarmed at what is avialable to the media.

The majority of the leaks are not from Toms writing home. The message needs to be reinforced from the CoC that they are listening and are fighting 'our' corner AND vitally that they are winning that fight.

I was being a little flipanant about the Pensions issue, but it is far easier for someone at the +16/18/22 year point in their career to make a stand than those of us who are not there yet.

I have had serious reservations about IZ and AFG. I have twice considered resigning, in the end it was not the money that stopped me but the fact that if I went I could not offer support (through my job(s)) to my mates and the other guys on the ground. When the day comes that I can not do anything then I will go. Being further down the food chain my departure will significantly have less impact than that one or more of the 'grown ups' going.